


Slicing Shadows

by TheManyFacesofJester



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Just Star Wars-esque, M/M, Not set in any particular movie, Some other characters crop up as well, Star Wars AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 22:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6489298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheManyFacesofJester/pseuds/TheManyFacesofJester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedi Shadow Ben Tallmadge is apprehensively sent to arrest an allegedly dangerous Slicer know only as "The Patriot." What Ben finds instead is Caleb Brewster, a man trying to correct a faulty system through whatever means possible. Ben quickly discovers that he faces a threat more dangerous than a Slicer, however, as a Sith Lord uncovers their location.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> So, [imsrybutwat](http://imsrybutwat.tumblr.com/) asked me to do a Tallster Star Wars AU, so here we are! I have a unhealthy amount of knowledge regarding Star Wars anyway, so this was actually perfect! I had a super fun time writing this and I hope you all have a super fun time reading it! Comment and tell me what you think, or, better yet, what I should write next! Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!

“He is not qualified for this mission!” Scott argued, unabashedly side-eyeing his ex-padawan.

“He’s only a Shadow! A Guardian should be the one to go,” another voice declared.

“Guardians are too noticeable. They’re not exactly taught to blend.”

“If this Slicer gets wind that a Jedi’s present, he’ll be gone before he can be apprehended!”

Benjamin Tallmadge stood to the side of the room. The Jedi Council sat in a circle, debating back and forth endlessly whether Ben was the correct choice to be sent to apprehend the culprit at hand. A Slicer who went by the name of “The Patriot” had made his opinions on the Jedi known through the interception and publication of several Jedi messages and classified information over the Holoweb, adding his own personal commentary, which used rather colourful language to describe exactly how he felt about the Jedi order.

His location had been virtually untraceable. This “Patriot” was a better Slicer than any in the Jedi ranks and it almost seemed like he existed solely in the Holoweb, as no location could be found. After six months of “The Patriot” remaining unfound, Ben decided to take matters into his own hands and discover the location of this criminal through any means possible. He pulled strings, asked favours, and made some deals that the rest of his Jedi order, even his fellow Shadows, would be discouraged by. He did not mention any of that when he presented his findings to the Council, he only showed them the location he had uncovered on this Slicer and had made his offer to arrest him.

This had started rather a worse storm of opinions and discussion that Ben had been prepared for. His standing with the Council was not, for lack of better terms, good. He was known to make compromises to himself and his reputation for the sake of gathering intel and his ex-Master Scott, was all too fond of bringing this matter up whenever possible.

“I am aware of his reputation, Master Scott.” Grand Master Washington had been silent for the duration of the meeting until now. Scott had begun quite the tirade on Ben’s past follies when he was cut off. The room was silent. A decision was being made.

“You discovered this information yourself, Master Tallmadge?” Washington continued.

“Yes, sir-”

“I think we have a right to know how, though!” Scott exclaimed. Washington waved his hand and Scott settled down.

“That won’t be necessary. We are all familiar with your methods. In most cases your indiscretions may be commented on, but you were successful, and for the time being that is all that matters.” Scott didn’t looked pleased with this. The rest of the room didn’t either, but they had to agree that Ben always got results. Ben wasn’t sure if he should feel insulted or say thank you. Either way, he kept his mouth shut.

“No one else was able to discover this Slicer’s whereabouts except you. Given that information, I have decided it would be wise to send you to apprehend him. The Force has led you onto this journey, I believe it only right that you finish what you started.” There was a murmur through the rest of the Council.

“Is there a motion to vote against that opinion?” a voice from the side of the room asked. No one objected.

It was decided.

“They actually let you go?” Abraham was walking with Ben to his appointed starship. Abraham was also a Jedi Shadow, though his standing with the Council was on much firmer ground. He had a right to be shocked that Ben was even considered to attempt this mission.

“Yes,” Ben said, unevenly, then: “Well, no. Grand Master Washington gave me permission. Everyone else argued for an hour about how I shouldn’t be the one to go.”

“Why does Washington want you to go?”

“He said the Force had decided this was my path.” Abe nodded as they reached the ship. It was Corellian made, so it would hopefully blend on the planet Ben was headed.

“Corellia?” Abe said, noticing the detail of the ship. “The Slicer’s on Corellia?”

“Keep your voice down, Abe. You’re not even supposed to know my mission.”

“Sorry, but Corellia?” Abe said softer as he helped Ben load his things into the storage compartment. “Ben, chances are he’s not just a Slicer, he’s a smuggler too.”

“I can handle it,” Ben said with confidence. “I’ve dealt with smugglers before, Abe.”

“I’m just saying, be careful Ben. Mind what you say and do. There are liars everywhere there.” Ben nodded at Abe’s warning and climbed the latter to the cockpit and climbed in.

“Coruscant won’t be the same without you, Ben!” Abe said sarcastically as he waved.

“Don’t be an asshole, Abe.”

He was off. The trip from Coruscant to Corellia was not such a long journey, both of them being Core Planets, but Ben was not an expert flier, so he would have to pay attention to what he was doing the whole time. He was familiar with the ships controls, but Jedi Ace’s tended to do all the flying when he went on away missions. This was his first time flying solo for such a long distance. He almost wished Abe was coming with him, but the council wanted this trip to be smooth, secret, and successful. Abe only knew because Ben had told him before he started gathering information, and he hadn’t mentioned anyone else knowing to the Council. The way they saw it, the more people that went to arrest “The Patriot”, the more likely they were of getting caught. There was the additional benefit of only one Jedi dying if things went south. Ben tried not to dwell on that.

The journey was uneventful. A stray bit of space fragment here and there, but the smooth sailing journey gave Ben hope for the easy accomplishment of this mission. If he did this right he would be in a much better position with his peers than he had been. Landing the ship was actually the hardest part of the entire trip. He skidded the bottom on the ramp as he descended, the sound of metal hitting the ground filling his ears until he came to a stop. Ben had hoped no one had seen him. Ben was, of course, wrong.

“What kind of landing was that!?” Someone at the terminal called out. Ben climbed out of the ship to see the damage he had done. Behind his ship were long silver stipes from where the bottom of his ship had streaked the ground. So much for not bringing attention to himself.

“Shut up, Selah!” Another voice called out from across the room. Room was a word for what Ben was in. It looked more like a very large garage on stilts. Ships kept coming and going, in and out, ever second. Ben suspected many of them were smugglers ships, but he that was not what he was here for. At the present he was being approached by the short man with a dark brown beard who had called out to the first man. “You alright there?”

“Yes, thank you. I’m not much of a pilot, I’m afraid.”

“It’s fine. It happens all the time. Selah’s just a dick.”

“Thanks,” was Selah’s reply as he removed himself from their conversation to go back to his own ship, which he seemed to be polishing excessively. Ben bit his lip as he smiled.

“They’ve got droids to clean that mess up, so don’t worry about it. But I can check the tail of your ship, if you like,” the bearded man offered.

“Um, sure, thank you,” Ben responded.

“I’m Caleb, by the way, Caleb Brewster.”

“Neb Llatmadge,” Ben responded, holding out his hand. His usual cover would do for this man. “Do you work here?”

“Occasionally. Not today though, but because Selah was mean to you, I feel obligated to help.”

Ben smiled, and thanked him. He had been expecting everyone here to be sketchy and unpleasant, but Caleb was warm, welcoming, and above all, friendly. They both inspected the bottom of the ship for damage. They both cringed when they saw the underside was dented with fizzling sparks coming out of it.

“I usually charge for this, but because I like, I’m gonna fix these wires for you for free!”

“That’s very generous of you,” Ben said.

“Let’s say you pay me back in some company while I fix it. So, Neb, where you from?” Caleb asked as he flipped onto his back to repair the crackling wires.

“Naboo,” Ben replied. It was the truth, actually. He had lived there before moving to Coruscant to become a Jedi.

“Naboo? I’ve been there a few times. Quite the journey though!” Caleb said, all friendly like. “What are you doing flying all the way over here for?” Ben had not been anticipating that question. Naboo _was_ a far way away from Corellia. Ben was silent as he tried to think of an answer, meanwhile Caleb poked his head out from underneath the ship.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “If it’s your business, then I don’t need to know. We get all sorts around here.” Then Caleb winked at Ben and went back to work. Ben was not fond of the idea that this man thought he was a smuggler, but it was a better cover than he would have come up with himself. He should have had a cover-story planned anyway, but he thought he would have time to think of one before going to meet with “The Patriot”. Regardless, this Caleb fellow had already given him a temporary alibi and that would have to do.

“And where are you from?” Ben asked, changing the subject as respectfully as he could.

“I’ve lived in Corellia for almost all my life! It’s home to me now!” Caleb said with pride. They talked like this for some time. Ben gave half-honest answers to Caleb’s questions while Caleb laughed and responded to all of Ben’s in return. There was something impressive about how well the two of the got along. That had never happened to Ben before. No one ever ‘just got along’ with him.

 “Alright, this is all set, but we should check the cockpit to see if there’s any errors.”

The two made their way into the ship and Caleb began pressing buttons and checking things Ben wouldn’t have even thought about.

“Looks okay from here,” Caleb told him as they brushed shoulders in the small room. Ben felt his arm tingle at the sensation. Caleb seemed to notice the effect on Ben, but just smiled and climbed out. He probably got that reaction a lot.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything for your service?” Ben asked, not so much interested in paying Caleb as he was in spending some more time with him.

“It’s fine,” Caleb replied, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. “I told you, your company was good enough!” Caleb smiled, and Ben smiled back, and he wished he wasn’t on a mission so he could spend the day here. Ben wasn’t exactly known for making friends on Coruscant. Even at the Jedi Academy he had a reputation for being unlikable. He’d had one friend then, but he didn’t think about Nathan anymore. Those feelings were behind him.

“Well, thank you. I hope to see you again,” Ben said briskly, and he began to walk off.

“Hey, hey, hey, wait a second!” Caleb called as he clapped his hand to Ben’s shoulder. “That’s it? We flirt for thirty minutes and I get a ‘see you later’?” Ben felt his ears flush. He wasn’t aware he’d been flirting.

“I- um-”

“What about you and me having dinner tonight? Selah owns a great bar – well, a decent bar – but you’d like it.” Caleb was smiling like he knew Ben wanted to accept. Ben _did_ want to accept, but that wasn’t the Jedi way. Personal relationships of any kind were frowned upon, even familiar ones. Besides, Ben had only known this person for less than an hour. He told himself that his feelings now were just those of gratitude and decided that was the end of the matter.

“I’m sorry. I have an appointment tonight.” That was true. He was meant to locate and arrest the Slicer tonight.

“Alright, tomorrow then?”

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“You flew all the way from Naboo to spend one day and fly all the way back?”

“I didn’t say I was going back to Naboo.”

“Right,” Caleb nodded as though he understood. He thought Ben was making a sale and leaving with his goods. Ben figured he would let him believe that.

“I wish I could though.” That was an honest answer at least.

“Well, you know where to find me if you decide to stay a little longer,” Caleb replied. Ben nodded, turned, and continued out of the terminal. He felt ridiculous. Caleb was charming, interesting, and kind but Ben couldn’t feel anything for him. He wasn’t allowed to. This had never been a problem in the past. He was sure it would wear off, but the rest of the day he spent thinking about Caleb’s smile, and eyes, and basically Caleb’s everything. Perhaps he would see him again when he left. He could tell him the truth, then, about being a Jedi.


	2. II

Night came to Corellia as Ben went over his intel on the Slicer. As far as Ben’s evidence suggested he sent all his transmissions out on an almost untraceable signal, but through an anonymous tip and careful spying Ben had discovered the transmissions to be sent from a bar in Coronet City. He hadn’t been sure which bar it was, but the most well-known for shady transmissions was apparently a “Strong Tavern” which Ben had matched the signal to. The Slicer tended to frequent the bar on specific nights, and Ben had timed his visit to coincide with a day that a transmission was expected. All he would have to do from there is follow the signal to the person it was coming from and arrest them. Then it was back to the terminal to see about finding Caleb again. And of course get the criminal back to Coruscant. That was what was important.

Ben arrived an hour early to the “Strong Tavern”. It was not what he was expecting. Usually bars that had a reputation for harboring criminal activity were shady places with lots of dark corners and back rooms. That was not what Ben was greeted by. Instead the tavern was well lit and filled with an assortment of smiling people. Ben also became aware that the bar acted as a hotel of sorts as well. That made his job a little bit harder, given that “The Patriot” could be in one of the rooms instead of the restaurant, but he figured the signal would be strong enough for him to trace to a specific room in time.

“Passing through?” A woman behind the bar asked. Ben nodded. “People don’t usually stay around here for too long. What would you like?” Her voice was breezy and light, with a pitch to match and long brown hair that was tied up in too many curls to count.

“I’m waiting for a friend, thanks,” Ben said.

“Right,” she said, smiling, then returned to her work. She thought Ben was here for illegal trading of some kind. Everyone on the whole of the planet must be suspicious of everyone else, but, then again, Ben wasn’t exactly painting himself in the best of lights. He was acting rather a lot like a smuggler, but it was actually a decent cover as far as he could see.

Time passed on. Ben picked up a conversation with the woman behind the bar, an Anna Strong, who ran the place with her husband. He listened to her more than he spoke, not that she minded. She seemed to be starved for company as she poured drinks, took orders and cleaned up all number of liquid waste from every imaginable location.

It was while she had excused herself to break up a small dispute on the other side of the bar that Ben’s beacon transceiver received a signal. A transmission was being made in the building. Ben scrambled as unassumingly as he could to lock onto the signal and trace it. He was successful, but the signal appeared to becoming from somewhere in front of him, and yet no one was present. Was his tech faulty?

At last it occurred to Ben that his transceiver was not programmed with multiple floors in mind. Whoever was transmitting out _was_ in front of Ben, just on another floor. Anna was currently off negotiating a compromise between a human and a Togruta, giving Ben ample opportunity to call the master room key too him with the Force. The signal on his transceiver was growing weaker, so Ben hurried up the thin staircase behind the bar.

The walls of the building were made of sleek metal, with silver and grey being the dominant colours as no dyes or paint had been added to spice up the area. Ben past several dying exotic plants that decorated the hallways as he followed the signal. Finally he reached the room where he was sure the signal was coming from. He poised himself and prepared to knock. His plan was to be invited in by the Slicer, then handcuff him before he could have time to delete any traces of his activity from the Holoweb. The Council needed all the evidence Ben could get them for “The Patriot” to receive a punishment worthy of his crimes.

Ben prepared himself and gently knocked at the door. Almost before he finished knocking, the door slide open automatically.

“I was wondering when you’d find me!”

“Caleb?” Ben wasn’t sure what to do for a moment. The signal was coming from here, he was sure of it. Unless there was another level to the building, but-

“Are gonna come in, Ben?”

“I’m sorry, I- Ben?” That was not the name he had given Caleb before.

“It’s only fair I get your real name if you got mine,” Caleb said. Suddenly Ben noticed the active computer sitting on the table in front of Caleb.

“You’re the Slicer?” he said incredulously.

“And you’re a Jedi. We’re both liars,” Caleb responded, nonchalant. This was infuriating.

“How could you possibly know-”

“I know everyone who comes here, and you weren’t familiar, so I thought I’d snag the navigation computer’s hard drive from your ship to trace where you came from. You can have that back now, if you’d like,” Caleb said, pulling the drive out of his computer and throwing it at Ben as he continued talking. “It says you came from Coruscant, so I figured it was worth it to do a check on your name. I asked around and a friend-of-a-friend said his buddy got arrested by a Ned Llatmadge a while back. Turned out Neb was really a Jedi Shadow named Ben Tallmadge. How’m I doing so far?”

Ben opened his mouth to say something but Caleb continued before he could.

“I’m right then. Good. So, Jedi Shadows don’t usually come to Corellia to arrest smugglers, in fact, you only tend to arrest smugglers if we get in _your_ way somehow, so if it’s not about smuggling, it’s probably about those transmissions I keep releasing about you and your pals back home. I wasn’t sure, but my computer detected your tracking signal when you entered the building and I knew you were going to show up eventually, so here we are.”

“I-” Ben began, but thought better of it. “Caleb Brewster, you are under arrest, by order of the Jedi.”

“I’m afraid there’s no evidence left to suggest that I’m the Slicer you’re looking for. That transmission that went out from here was just some music I had on my computer.”

He deleted it all from his equipment. But he couldn’t have. Ben swept forward to check out Caleb’s computer, not bothering to even look at Caleb or even try to arrest him, and stared at the screen. The transmission he sent from here _was_ just music. They had nothing on him.

“I am certain the Slicers at Coruscant have saved records of your transmissions. There will be something we can use,” Ben said, more confident than he felt. He had turned around to face Caleb, only for the other man to have walked to the other side of the room.

“Excuse me! You are still under arrest!”

“Of course. But before we share that pleasant journey together back to Coruscant, why don’t we have that dinner we talked about. I did say Selah owned a good bar. I’m sure you met his wife, Anna, downstairs. Lovely women – Never gives me anything for free though. Some friend she is.”

Ben felt an utter fool. Caleb had practically told him everything he needed to know. He had shown that he was good the ships, and wires and controls. He had stolen the hard drive from his ship right under his nose. Ben was going to lose his job for sure once Caleb told the Council everything he had gotten away while under Ben’s eye.

He was so wrapped in thought that Ben only just caught that Caleb had set the table for two.

“You actually expect me to eat with you?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t have invited you to dinner if I didn’t intend to follow through.” Caleb kept talking like nothing was a problem. As though what was happening was just regular news to him.

“I am a Jedi. I’m not… We’re not allowed to have any relationships,” Ben said, then added, with more passion: “And besides, you are under arrest for publishing private transmissions!”

“Ben,”

“Yes?”

“Just sit down.”

Ben sighed. This was useless. He might as well have something to eat, though. He certainly was in no hurry to return and tell the Council of his failure. Scott would tell Grand Master Washington how Ben never should have been trusted with the task to begin with. Washington would believe him, of course, because he was right. Ben shouldn’t have been the one to go. What a mess he had made of the whole situation.

“Are you alright?” Caleb asked. Ben wanted to snap at him for asking such a belligerent question, but he actually sounded sincere.

“No. I’m about to lose my job because I got distracted by the criminal I was supposed to apprehend.”

“Distracted? So the flirting was working on you?” He said it so matter-of-fact. Ben could have smacked him, but he was right. Ben had gotten caught up in all the attention. It had been nice, at the time. No one had ever treated him like that. Everyone either knew he was a Jedi, and didn’t bother, or simply weren’t interested at all. But the terminal was all just an act. Caleb just did it to steer away his attention. He really wasn’t right for this mission.

“You don’t have any shame, do you?” Ben snapped. He felt used, and hurt, and his emotions were getting the better of him. That had a habit of happening, even though it wasn’t supposed to. “You just feel entitled to everything going your way. You steal our transmissions, you release them with your moronic commentary, you do whatever it takes to get away with all of this, and you think you’re in the right. You don’t care about all the damage you’re causing,”

“Damage?” Caleb looked startled for the first time that evening. “Have you even listened to any of my transmissions?”

“Well, no, the Council had forbidden-”

“Of course they have. They tell you what’s right and what’s wrong and you just blindly believe them.”

“It’s called faith, you could use some!”

“I put my faith in facts, Ben, not rumor,” Caleb spat back. “What did they tell you I was releasing on the Holoweb? What _exactly_ do you think I do?”

Ben paused for a moment. To be honest, he wasn’t quite sure. The Council told him he was stealing private transmissions and releasing them on the Holoweb with his own commentary. That was all. None of the Jedi below the Council had been allowed to review the transmissions.

“You don’t know, do you?”

“I know it’s illegal!”

“Have you considered that they didn’t want you to see my transmissions because the private transmissions I obtained have something in them that they don’t want you to know?” Caleb asked. That had not occurred to Ben. Why _hadn’t_ they let anyone review the transmissions? What was so wrong about them that the rest of the Jedi weren’t allowed to hear them?

“Whatever you’re transmitting,” Ben said, his voice struggling to find the correct words, “is something they need to protect us from. They are doing for our own good.”

“Why don’t you listen to one of them, and then you tell me what you think?”

“Absolutely not! I shouldn’t even be sitting here with you. We need to leave for Coruscant, now!” Ben stood to leave the table, but Caleb reached out and grabbed his wrist. His hand was calloused, and rough, but Ben liked it against his skin. He tried to push that thought away as Caleb pulled him closer.

“Hey, listen to me, I’m not doing this to upset you.” Caleb’s voice was softer now than it had been before. “I like you, Ben, despite everything. I think you’re just confused because of all the secrecy happening around you. I’m not trying to forcibly turn you against the Jedi, I just want you to have some free will in the matter. Since the minute you joined their ranks they’ve controlled what you get to know. If you hear what my transmission says, and you agree that the rest of the Jedi shouldn’t know about it, then we’ll go to Coruscant. But if you feel the same way about that information as I do, then we’ll go from there.”

Caleb’s hand didn’t leave Ben’s wrist. Ben didn’t ask him to remove it. Instead he let Caleb lead him over to the computer. There was a part of him, one that seemed to be growing larger, which didn’t always trust the Jedi Council to be acting in everyone’s best interest. He had been taught to trust them. He had been convinced to obey their orders. What if whatever Caleb showed him proved all of that wrong? What would it be like to have free reign over his own emotions, instead of cutting himself off from them?

They sat together on a soft sofa in the circular room. Caleb clicked through his computer, his hand finally releasing Ben’s arm, and was about to hit play on a transmission when there was a loud _bang_ from the outside of the window.

Glass shattered inside from the window as a dozen Strom Troopers filled the room. Blasters began going off the minute they marched in. At once Ben pulled out his lightsabers. Ben had been advised to only use one, but his fighting style seemed to him to require a regular lightsaber and a shoto in his off-hand. The half-meter long shoto was useful for protecting himself at every angle, though his Master Scott had tried to warn him off using it because of how one sloppy move can result in the shoto cutting off one’s own limb. In the case of blasters, however, Ben had found it exceptionally useful to have two blades in order to protect himself. Now, more than ever, was proof that this was an excellent decision.

Ben stepped in front of Caleb and used his twin sabers to fend off the stream of blasters firing at the two of them. Caleb seemed to be gathering his computer gear as fast as possible while Ben fought off the oncoming attack. Ben tried to use his comlink to send out a distress signal, but found it inoperable.

“Tell me you didn’t bring down communications!”

“Alright, I won’t tell you then!” Caleb replied, all his equipment now stuffed in a sealed pack.

Ben let out a frustrated gasp as he slashed at the Storm Troopers who had gotten near enough to him for up-close combat. Red hot slash marks appears in the Storm Troopers armor before they fell to the ground from their injuries. Ben was down to half a dozen enemies left when he felt himself get thrown against a wall.

Someone dressed in deep blue and black climbed in through the window. Ben could see a ship hovering outside from which the Storm Troopers had come from. The person approaching Ben had his hand out, apparently using the Force to hold Ben in place. As much as he struggled against it, his focus was off and he couldn’t regain it. He searched wildly for Caleb but found no one else in the room. Caleb had left him there.

“Leave the Jedi alive,” The man in dark clothes said, stepping closer, his hand outstretched. “I’ll deal with him.” Then there was a crack as Ben’s head smacked up against the wall.


	3. III

Ben woke up to the soft vibrations of a moving vehicle. His head ached, but not enough to dull his memory. He had been captured. He wasn’t sure who exactly had taken him, or where they were taking him, but he was sure the man in blue and black that had shown up was Sith. Ben could feel it, but it wasn’t exactly hard to put together either. Those who could use the Force tended to be either Jedi or Sith, as far as Ben had ever know. The dark colours were a dead giveaway as well.

As Ben regained his faculties he began to process what could have led to this happening. Why would a Sith Lord know where to find him? The only person who knew he was a Jedi was…

Caleb. What if Caleb had sent for them to get Ben? It seemed to fit. Caleb was anti-Jedi anyways, why wouldn’t he be working in league with the Sith? Ben had assumed Caleb had just gotten away, but if the Sith weren’t after him he probably just got up and walked away. But why had he been in such a hurry to gather his things? That alone seemed-

A door opened on the other end of the cell Ben was in, interrupting his thoughts. His room was pitch black, but as the door slide open light flooded the small unit. Ben was lying down on a bench that went from one side of the cell to the other. There was nothing else in the room, aside from the bench, except the walls and the door. The outline Ben saw through the bright light of the outside was that of a Storm Trooper.

“Come with me,” he ordered. Ben opened his mouth, ready to tell the Trooper to step aside and let him go, but he found no words came out of his mouth. Ben raised his bound hands to his throat and he felt a thin metal device pressed against his vocal box. Jedi Mind Tricks were now out of the question. All Ben could do was follow the Trooper in silence.

The forward-motion of the vehicle Ben knew they were in abruptly stopped, followed by a descent. They were landing somewhere. As Ben and the Storm Trooper made their way through the hallway of their current space craft he tried to make some guess as to where he was, or more accurately, where he _could_ be by guessing how long he had been unconscious for. His attempts at discovering his location were unsuccessful as they exited the back of the ship. They were at another terminal, but this one seemed to be inside another, larger ship. Eyes followed Ben on his journey past the array of ships stored in the dock and onwards towards a door on the far right. Everything Ben passed, from the walls to the ships, was a light sliver or white color. That was surprising given the Sith’s affinity for darker hues.

“Darth Simcoe, what shall I do with the prisoner?” The pair of travelers had made it through a doorway that lead to a large office area. The man in black and blue who Ben had seen at the Strong Tavern stood behind his desk.

“Put him in the first cell you find. I’ll be with him presently,” Simcoe said passively, as if he had more important matters to deal with. “Don’t take the Silencer off him though. I wouldn’t think I’d have to explain that, and yet, here we are.”

Ben eyed Simcoe with as much disgust and distain as he could. Ben had gotten captured a few times, but usually it was by smugglers or common criminals and he could talk or fight his way out. This time, however, he was in the presence of a Sith Lord who had taken every precaution when it came to capturing a Jedi. He didn’t have his lightsaber, or even free hands, and his voice had been removed from the equation. Ben felt the tingle of fear run through his body. He didn’t have a way out of this.

“Stay here,” he was ordered when they arrived at his cell. It looked much the same as the one on the transport ship – small and lacking any ornamentation save a bench which would serve for sitting and sleeping, Ben presumed. There was a period of time between being dumped at his cell while he waited for Darth Simcoe to arrive where Ben felt the twinges of panic sear through him. His mind raced for a solution to his predicament, but there wasn’t anything he could do. No one except the Jedi Council and Abe knew where he was, and given Scott’s report on Ben they wouldn’t be surprised if he did not return in a timely manner. But even if they were expecting him, would they send an extraction team? What exactly was on those transmissions Caleb had?

“I don’t believe you and I have ever met.” The door slide open and Simcoe appeared before Ben. He looked pleased, but Ben could see something about him was off. The ‘pleased’ look he had seemed to match the one Scott would get when Washington suggested an idea that he didn’t like but had to go along with. He looked like something wasn’t going the way he wanted it to.

“I suppose I can take that silly thing of you now. Your little tricks won’t work on me,” Simcoe said and he waved his hand. A lock on the back of the Silencer around his neck clicked apart and the device split apart, gently floating over to Simcoe and landing in his hand.

“First, you’re going to tell me your name.” Simcoe waited for an answer, but Ben didn’t reply. He seemed to be anticipating this. “I’m waiting.” More silence. “Fine. Have it your way.”

Ben lurched back as Simcoe formed a tight grip around his neck with the Force. They were warned at the Academy that such a move was illegal. This did not seem to matter to the Sith. Simcoe held Ben up in the air against the back wall for about a minute before dropping him back down with less grace and tact than a Jedi deserved.

Ben gasped for air as it rushed back into his lungs. His eyes felt bloodshot and watery and his chest felt like fire, but he was not completely exhausted. This wasn’t unendurable. Unpleasant, but not impossible to survive. That’s all he had to do after all: Survive.

“Name?”

“Sith scum-” was all that came out of Ben’s mouth. Simcoe cut him off before anything else could come out by sending the bound Jedi across the room with a crash.

An hour of this passed. Ben was injured, exhausted, and constantly on the brink of giving up but he kept his mouth shut. This bothered Simcoe more and more as time passed on. Ben was a Shadow, and he had trained his mind to be resistant to penetration from the Force. Simcoe realized, likely while Ben was on the first ship, that he couldn’t see into Ben’s mind the way he could with other people, even other Jedi. He was a clean slate, and that was ticking Simcoe off.

“Are you ready to talk yet?” Simcoe asked. He sounded like he was trying to remain calm, but his aggravation was bleeding into his speech.

“Are you ready to give up?” That was not the answer Simcoe was looking for.

“What were you doing with that Slicer?” He shouted. That was not the question Ben was expecting. The Sith Lord’s hand rose again, but stopped when they were suddenly interrupted.

“Sir, there’s been a security breach in the east wing,” a Storm Trooper explained. Simcoe gave a look back at Ben with disgust and consideration before regaining his composure to address his inferior.

“Alright. Maybe some time alone will give you an opportunity to rethink your current situation.” A hand was waved and the Silencer went back around Ben’s neck, feeling significantly more painful given the bruising Ben now had there. Ben found he actually did not like the solitude of being by himself. Not here, anyway.

Why did Simcoe ask him about Caleb? Ben had been sure Caleb was the one who had alerted them of a Jedi presence to begin with, but then why was Simcoe concerned with what he was doing with Caleb? Was he afraid Ben had seen something before they got there? Something awfully confusing was happening and Ben hated not knowing what was that was.

Then something surprising happened. The door to Ben’s cell opened and though he was expecting to see Simcoe returning, he instead found no one. The door couldn’t have just opened on its own, and yet no one appeared. Hands bound and voice cut off, Ben poked his head gently out the doorway. To his left and right was endless empty hallway. All units must have been dealing with this alleged breach in the east wing. Ben was wondering if that breach had anything to do with rescuing him when the door across from him opened on its own. No one went in, and no one came out, but it opened nonetheless.

It was almost spooky, and very likely some kind of trap, but Ben would take any chance he could get, so he snuck across the hallway and entered the open doorway. The door closed behind him as he entered, a good sign that it had been opened specifically for him. As Ben walked around the room he had just entered, a side door slid open. The same happened in the next room Ben went into. Ben found himself being led through the labyrinth-like ship by following the opening and closing doors. He was careful to be on the lookout for rouge Storm Troopers and droids, but whoever was navigating him made sure he avoided all of that. One or two times Ben had to wait a few minutes for a door to open, and Ben had to assume it was because the room he was heading into wasn’t cleared of enemies yet.

Ben ended up in a long, thin hallway that sparked on all sides where the wires were showing. He was in some kind of back pathway, the mechanical lining of the ships internal system, heading north. He knew that much for certain. It was hard to navigate through the thin corridor with his hands bound, but he finally made it to an opening. The last door slide open, leading into a room as dark and spark filled as the hallway, but with several computers and one lifeform.

“Good to see you Ben!” Caleb stood in the center of the Control Room, his hands momentarily pausing to wave a hello to Ben before returning to flying across the multiple keyboards in front of him

Ben made motions to shout abuse at Caleb, but only air came out of his mouth.

“You’re awfully quiet, aren’t you— Shit.” Caleb seemed to notice the Silencer around Ben’s neck. Ben imagined he also noticed the blood and bruising that now covered his body. “Come here, lemme see if I can get that off.” Ben stayed where he was.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, just get over here.” Still nothing. “Whatever you think I did, I didn’t, OK. I’m not with Simcoe, or the Sith. They weren’t even after you; I bet none of them even knew you were there. They were looking for me in that room. That false signal I sent out to lead you to me must have attracted them too.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. Why would the Sith care about a Slicer who openly opposes the Jedi. It seemed counter intuitive.

“I intercept messages from the Sith as well, not that you would know because you never listen to my transmissions. I guess I pissed them off as much as the Jedi Council.” Ben eyed Caleb suspiciously. It sounded like Caleb was telling the truth. Ben had no proof to say he was lying, but then he had no reason to believe that he wasn’t.

“Fine, keep it around your neck. I only stole a ship and hijacked the mainframe of a Sith starship to rescue you,” Caleb said with exasperation, returning to his work. Ben wandered slightly closer to see exactly what Caleb _had_ done.

“I made it look like there was a breach in the east wing to distract the crew. I actually came in through the west wing and made my way here. I didn’t know where you were until I saw Simcoe leave your cell there,” he explained, pointing to a screen that showed the hallway Ben had left the cell from. “It took a little while, but I overrode the system for the doors and figured out how to open the right ones to lead you to me. Not bad, if I say so myself!” While Caleb seemed frazzled from his work, he also appeared mighty impressed with his own intelligence and ingenuity. Ben had to admit that he was impressed too.

Ben was about to motion for Caleb to at least try and remove the Silencer when a Storm Trooper entered the room.

“What are you doing here? That’s the prisoner!” The Trooper began, his gun raised.

“We’re supposed to be here,” Caleb said. Ben searched the other man wildly, but the Storm Trooper repeated back:

“You’re supposed to be here.”

“You’re going to leave and tell no one that you saw us.”

“I’m going to leave and tell no one that I saw you.”

With that the Storm Trooper turned around and left the room. Ben couldn’t help but stare.

“I’m not a Jedi,” Caleb explained before Ben even had a chance to try and ask. “Not everyone who uses the Force is a Jedi.”

That couldn’t be true though. All people who were Force sensitive were admitted to the Academy. What parent would deny would their child the right to train as a Jedi? It was an honor. Ben tried to ask about it, but only whispers left his throat.

“We have got to get that thing off you,” Caleb mumbled. “But first those bonds on your hands. I know how to get those off. It’s common knowledge for smugglers. This is an older model too, not that the newer ones aren’t that much harder to break out of, mind you, just different. I remember-”

Ben cleared his throat loudly. That sound he could make.

“Lemme guess, you wanna know more about me being Force Sensitive?” Caleb said with an attitude. Ben nodded enthusiastically as Caleb undid the bonds. “I bet they told you that your parents willingly gave you up to go train as a Jedi. That they were ‘so proud to send their child off to train for something so significant.’ Except, no, that’s not what happened. Anyone who is Force sensitive is forced to train as a Jedi. They are required to be given up as children and sent to the Academy. Parents who try to hide their Force-Sensitive children can be punished however the Council sees’ fit. My parents did that. They hid me until I was 9. But the Council found out, probably from my moron neighbors, and they came to get me. My parents put me on a ship to Corellia and I never saw them again. That’s how it works.”

Ben wasn’t sure how to process that information. He knew he had a family on Naboo, at one point. He almost remembered his father, but he wasn’t allowed to see him again. Relationships were forbidden. Ben used to be so sure of that statement, that it was for his own good, but maybe that wasn’t quite right. What was so wrong with caring about others?

Caleb noticed the puzzled expression on Ben’s face. “It’s to keep you unconditionally loyal to the Jedi,” he said. Ben rolled his eyes. “It’s true! They want you to care about the Jedi and nothing else. If you have a family, or any kind of relationship, you might want to be with them instead of ‘protecting the galaxy’ or whatever they tell you.”

That couldn’t be true. None of this could be. Ben may not always agree with the Jedi and their practices, but they weren’t as bad as Caleb was painting them. Caleb was just upset about losing his family. Whatever he thought happened had to be mere fancy. The Jedi were the good in this world. But then why did Ben believe Caleb?

There was a click and the bonds separated from Ben’s wrists.

“Now about that thing,” Caleb said, again referring to the Silencer. “Anyone remove it before?” Ben nodded. He used his free hand to point to one of the screens. His finger pointed directly to Darth Simcoe. “Right. Well, any chance you’re good at charades?”

Ben smiled, just a little, and shrugged. He mimicked, as best he could, that Simcoe had used the Force.

“Great, right, well, that’s useless to me. Turn around, lemme look at it.” Caleb spun Ben around by the shoulders, leaving a tingling sensation, and began looking at the back of the device. His fingers danced on the back of Ben’s neck and left a trail of pins and needles wherever he touched. Suddenly Ben’s hand flew back and smacked Caleb on the arm.

“Ow, I haven’t even touched you yet,” Caleb cried before noticing Ben pointing at something. “Shit!” He took a look at the screen. The conundrum at the east wing had been solved as the ship Caleb had arrived in was discovered in the west wing. Storm Troopers were sent out in squadrons to search the ship. Simcoe went on his own to check on his prisoner.

“Alright, time to leave,” he said, and dragged Ben by the collar to the door the Storm Trooper had come through. His handprint was recognized by every access-scanner they passed and they went through door after door with ease. A hand-held monitor on Caleb’s belt flipped between cameras so they could gauge which doors were safe to go through.

“We’re going to the head of the ship,” Caleb whispered while they ran. “Our escape route just got discovered, so we’re going to have to redirect the whole ship to Coruscant.”

Coruscant? Caleb had to be fully aware that he would be arrested imminently if they went to Coruscant. Then again, the Sith would be outmatched by Jedi. It was the safest place to take them, but at a personal cost.

“Two more doors. One more door. Here-”

As they arrived at the room Caleb set to work straight away, his expert hands maneuvering the ship. Ben wanted to ask him more about his transmissions, more about what he knew, but until the Silencer came off he was left with what Caleb chose to tell him.

“Keep watch on the screen,” Caleb ordered, handing Ben the portable monitor. Ben watched as it flipped between the three rooms on either side of the Navigation Room. Ben bet Caleb had invented this on his own, as he had never seen it’s like before. He was more clever than anyone could ever give him credit for.

As they sat in silence, Ben noticed something in one of the rooms adjacent to where they were. Without speaking, for obvious reasons, he grabbed Caleb and pressed his hand against the access-scanner.

“What are you-”

When the door opened Ben rushed into the office. It was the same one where he had first met Simcoe and the same place Simcoe had left some very important items. On his desk was Ben’s lightsabers. He seized both of them and hurried back to the Navigation Room, letting the door shut behind him.

“Nice find, Benny!” Caleb exclaimed as he returned to his work at the board. “You locate a key for that thing around your neck and you’ll earn my undying love.”

Ben flushed at the ears and chewed on his bottom lip. Caleb was joking, but that sounded particularly nice right now. Ben wished he could thank Caleb for everything he had done to rescue him. As far as Ben could tell, Caleb didn’t have to do anything given the way Ben was treating him. How foolish he’d been to assume Caleb had set him up. He’d let his anger at Caleb lying to him build up into something it wasn’t. Maybe those where the kinds of emotions the Jedi were taught to avoid. They certainly had hindered Ben and clouded his mind. But some emotions, like the ones he was feeling right now, they seemed to amplify his perception. Maybe the Jedi Council wasn’t right about everything. Perhaps there was truth in Caleb’s words about the Jedi’s beliefs about relationships.

All of a sudden a blast came from the ceiling. Ben dodged the pieces of debris that fell from the opening as thick dust descended in all directions. Though his vision was clouded, his Force perception was not, and he knew Simcoe had found them.


	4. IV

Simcoe leapt down from the second floor of the ship, lightsaber already drawn. Ben switched both of his on as fast as possible, letting the Force guide his movements as he entered the dual, clouds of dust still impairing his vision as it settled to the ground.

“I don’t want you, Jedi. I want the Slicer!” Simcoe shouted, his glowing red lightsaber slashing wildly as Ben defending himself. “Put down you’re weapon, and I’ll leave you be!”

Ben was sure, now more than ever, that Caleb had been telling the truth. Simcoe was after him, not Ben. Though, at the moment, Ben was of better judgement than to assume that Simcoe would spare him if he laid down his weapon. Even still, he would have defended Caleb anyway. He had saved Ben’s life, after all. It was the least he could do to show Caleb the same respect.

The dust hid Caleb from sight, but Ben could feel the ship changing directions. Caleb was still working. They were on track to Coruscant so long as he kept working and Ben kept fighting. The battle was going nowhere, however, with Ben and Simcoe at a stalemate. They were surprisingly well-matched for one another, their blades never making contact with anything other than their opponent’s saber. It was even more infuriating that Ben knew he was losing strength. He had undergone an hour of torture prior to this. Simcoe had the upper hand in that regard.

At last Simcoe found a maneuver that would work and managed to slash at Ben’s non-dominant arm. Blood seeped out of his arm as he fell back.

_“Ben?”_

_“Caleb?”_

_“Can you hear me?”_ In all honestly, no. Ben wasn’t literally hearing anything. At the Academy they had been taught that strong bonds between people could allow for Projective Telepathy. The act of putting your voice in someone else’s mind was exceptionally difficult, and rare for many people to do, but this felt natural. In the absence of the ability to use his own voice to communicate with Caleb the Force had allowed him another option.

_“Are you alright?”_

_“Simcoe’s got the upper hand!”_ Ben mentally explained, raising his sabers once again to wield off another attack. _“He wants you, but his mind is clouded with anger. He can’t find you in this mess until he or the dust calms down.”_

 _“What about you?”_ Caleb sounded panicked. _“You’re hurt.”_

_“I’m hurt all over Caleb. I’ll hold him off as long as I can but he’s going to win eventually. Your best bet is to leave now and get to an escape pod-”_

_“Don’t be stupid, Ben. I didn’t come all this way to let you die. You still owe me dinner.”_

The ship suddenly lurched. They were going at light speed. So Caleb had gotten that far at least. In a ship this powerful it couldn’t take long to get to Coruscant, but it would still take longer than Ben could hold of Simcoe for.

 _“Left,”_ Caleb told Ben. Ben’s sabers automatically swung to the left where they blocked a blow from Simcoe. _“Above.”_ Ben rose one lightsaber to meet Simcoe’s and used the shoto to deliver a slash across Simcoe’s chest. He shrieked out in pain and clutched his chest for moment before returning to the fight, but Ben and Caleb had a system to work with now. Caleb used his clear mind to use the Force and predict Simcoe’s movements and Ben reacted to what he said.

 _“Looking good, Benny-boy!”_ Caleb commended. Ben now had an advantage over Simcoe, but he still wasn’t strong enough to make full use of that. The dust kept clearing as the fought, forcing Ben to leap up and slash at the ceiling to keep the scenery clouded. But the dust kept clearing faster than Ben could bring it down and before he could do anything, it was clear enough to see. Simcoe got a view of Caleb, standing at the helm. He lunged for him, but Ben used the Force to pull him back. He was an expert at _Niman_ , a combat style that focused on using the Force while controlling a lightsaber, but he was worn, and it took more out of him than he expected to pull Simcoe back.

 _“Work around the problem,”_ Ben told himself. _“How would Caleb solve this?”_ He was sure Caleb had heard him, but he didn’t care. He had an idea. Ben used as much strength as he could to fight Simcoe back against one of the closed doorways.

“Give up, Jedi!” Simcoe shouted as he continued to fight. “You’re too weak!” That was true, but it wouldn’t be for much longer.

 _“Sorry about this,”_ Ben told Caleb as he shot out his hand and pulled Caleb to the doorway.

_“Ben, what’re you-”_

Caleb felt his hand touch the access-scanner and the door behind Simcoe opened. He stumbled back in surprise, and lost his footing. Ben’s foot jammed out until it made contact with Simcoe’s shins, sending him falling face first to the ground. He attempted to get up, and with his speed he might have succeeded, but Ben grabbed for Caleb’s hand and pulled it off the access port, forcing the door to shut at a speed that sliced Simcoe’s body in half.

Ben and Caleb were breathing heavily as they stood before half of Simcoe’s dead body. With Simcoe dead the Silencer around Ben’s neck fell apart and clattered to the ground. Caleb smashed it with his foot as hard as he could the moment it touched the ground. Ben could have wept for joy to see it destroyed.

“How would Caleb solve this?” Caleb asked, echoing Ben’s private comment. Ben grinned and breathed through his teeth.

“Maybe you’re right,” Ben said. “Maybe the Jedi way isn’t always the best way. I think it might be high time for change.”

Caleb smiled back at Ben as the ship continued to hurtle through space.

“I’d like to hear those transmissions.” Caleb turned his head to Ben.

“Are you sure?” Caleb asked. He was so genuine. He knew this wasn’t easy for Ben. He had spent his whole life believing certain universally acknowledged truths.

“Yes.” Ben responded. “I trust you.”

They spent the ride back listening to every one of “The Patriot’s” transmissions. The ones regarding the Jedi were disheartening, to say the least. The Jedi considered the Force’s manifestation in any child as a sign of consent that the child could be taken. All record of the child’s relation to their family was destroyed.

“I had a friend who went looking for his family.”

“Oh?”

“Nathan. He had a huge heart and that didn’t win him any points with the Council. He used to tell me every night about this family he remembered. One day he just up and left to search for them. He said he would write to me, and he did for a while, but then he just stopped. I heard a rumor that he died, but no one ever said how.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was a while ago. We were told to forget about Nathan. They said he was a shameful disgrace to the Jedi ranks, and I believed them. I thought he was such a fool. I don’t know how to feel now. I think I just miss him.”

Caleb nodded, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Ben never let himself feel emotions. They supposedly distracted him and clouded his judgement. But now, as confused and upset as he was, he didn’t feel any less than what he was. He felt good. It was nice to be able to express his emotions. It was like they had been bottled up for so long that he was glad for them to be released.

Ben didn’t pull his hand away when Caleb reached to hold it. The Council could complain all they wanted; he refused to feel guilty about what he was feeling.

The transmissions revealed more regarding the Jedi, as well as the Sith. Knowledge on many subjects was censored from viewing by the Jedi and the general public. The Sith were active in many more locations than the Jedi Council had revealed. Things were, in general, much worse than the Council was claiming.


	5. V

The ship made it to Coruscant without a hitch. It was the actual arrival that posed a real problem. The Jedi Council must have been alerted that a large ship associated with the Sith was entering Coruscant and they had it surrounded by the time they even entered the atmosphere.

“Ben Tallmadge?” It was Scott who stormed the ship to find Ben and Caleb in the navigation room. Other Jedi rounded up and arrested the confused Storm Troopers who hadn’t noticed the ship was going anywhere off course.

“Master Scott,” Ben responded.

“Is _this_ how you perform a low-profile mission?” He asked with some bite. Ben didn’t respond. Scott continued to look displeased as he turned his attention to Caleb. “Who are you?”

“I’m The Patriot,” Caleb said with pride. Ben rolled his eyes and just held his hand tighter.

“In that case, you are both under arrest.”

“Both!” Caleb said incredulously. “What has _he_ done wrong?”

“Do you want a list?” Scott said as both their hands were bound before being ushered off the ship.

Ben and Caleb were put in a cell to await the Council’s decision. Ben could hear Scott informing Washington and the rest of the Jedi Council of all the many mistakes made by Ben on this mission.

 _“How can they arrest you? You caught me and killed a Sith Lord. I would say that earns a medal, not a sentence!”_ Caleb complained silently to Ben. They found this form of communication more successful than whispering, and they felt closer using it anyway.

 _“That’s not how they see it.”_ Ben replied _“I went against protocol to do all of those things. That’s why their debating my sentence. They’re weighing the pros and cons.”_

 _“That’s total shit!”_ Ben had to agree. It wasn’t fair, but that’s how it was.

_“Benny?”_

_“Yes Caleb?”_

_“If I, hypothetically, could get us out of here, seeing as these are old model handcuffs around our wrists and that door is easily gotten past, would you be interested in coming with me?”_

Ben let out a long breathe. Him and Caleb, together. Caleb would never stop striving to spread the truth about the Jedi and the Sith until things changed. A short while ago Ben would have shunned the very idea behind what Caleb was doing, but now, now that he had seen what exactly Caleb was striving to do, Ben wanted very much to be a part of that as well. It wasn’t about derailing the Jedi, but about calling out their behavior so positive change could occur. It was about holding the Jedi to their own standards.

_“Grand Master Washington told me, before I left, that the Force had chosen this journey for me, and that I should see it through. I think he was right, and this journey isn’t over yet. So, I suppose, if you could get us out, yes. Yes, I would go with you in a heartbeat. I will follow where you lead.”_

Ben heard a click as Caleb’s bonds dropped to the floor and a hand reached out to grasp the back of Ben’s head, forcing both men closer together. Their mouths connected in a way Ben was unfamiliar with, but one he hoped to grow used to. It was slower than a quick touch, but faster than Ben wanted it to be. He had barely tasted Caleb’s lips before he pulled away.

Another click and Ben’s bonds clattered to the floor. Caleb jokingly shushed them as he pulled Ben in for another kiss. Then another.

 _“They’re be back before you’ve finished!”_ Ben scolded. A flash of a smile, one last quick kiss, and Caleb set to work on the door. Ben touched his lips with his hand and smiled in a stupid sort of way. How could anyone even try to ban these feelings?

It was mere minutes before Caleb had it sliding open. There were no guards posted on either side of the door. They had likely assumed the cell was fool-proof. Ben wondered why everyone underestimated Caleb Brewster.

They first snuck into the room where all their confiscated gear was being stored. Ben took his lightsabers and utility belt while Caleb took his pack which was contained all his electronics. Then the pair skidded down the hallways of the Jedi Temple, rushing towards the Terminal.

 _“All the ships in here are traceable!”_ Ben warned Caleb.

_“Not the one I flew onto the Sith starship!”_

“You brilliant bastard!” Ben cried out as they made it to the quarantined area where Darth Simcoe’s ship was being examined. It was hardly difficult to get onto the ship, no one expecting anyone who wasn’t allowed in to try and get on board. That wasn’t the Jedi way. Caleb’s handprint still worked for all the doors, so they made excellent time getting to the west wing of the enormous ship.

“Do you need anything else?” Caleb asked as the climbed into the two-man vessel.

“Nothing here is mine,” Ben told him, and that was true. Everything here belonged to the Jedi.

“Alright,” Caleb said as the ship started to hover. “What are we gonna do first?”

“Let’s go save the galaxy.”

“Ambitious, aren’t you? I like it. But how about that dinner you promised me first?”

“I never promised you anything, Caleb.”

“Saving the galaxy it is then. You ready. Tallboy?”

“Punch it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I had a marvelous time writing this! It was just a wonderful time coming up with the plot and finding an excuse to use all the useless Star Wars knowledge I have. I hope you have been at least mildly entertained while reading this. May we meet again.


End file.
